Woman saves herself and two others at salon as tanning bed catches fire

Hannah Brien, 32, was topping up her tan before a night out when she spotted flames licking the side of her sunbed

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By Stephen Moyes

13th March 2018, 9:59 pm

Updated: 13th March 2018, 9:59 pm

A SUNBED fanatic has been put off tanning for life - after one caught on fire while she was inside.

Hannah Brien, 32, was topping up her tan when she spotted flames licking the side of her sunbed.

Hannah Brien, 32, was topping up her tan when she spotted flames licking the side of her sunbed

The restaurant manager, from Hayle, Cornwall, leapt out of the sunbed naked and began hunting for a fire extinguisher - but couldn’t find one.

She helped two other tanners escape the fire trap and they watched in horror from the street as the salon went up in flames.

The terrifying experience has put Hannah off sunbeds for life.

She said: “It was absolutely petrifying and has put me off sunbeds in a big way. You are supposed to lie down and relax while you’re tanning but I could never relax in a sunbed again.”

Firefighters tackle the salon blaze

Hannah, who has used sunbeds every fortnight for the last five years, visited Consol Suncentre in Camborne, Cornwall, on March 8 with friend James Stuart, 34, a car valet, to top up her colour ahead of a night out.

She said: “I’ve used sunbeds on and off for years. I was going out on the weekend so I wanted to look nice and brown.”

She had been lying in the bed for a couple of minutes when she began to smell burning plastic.

She recalled: “I was on it for a couple of minutes and something didn’t smell right. It smelt like burning plastic. But I didn’t think about it too much and concentrated on relaxing.

In her haste, Hannah didn’t even bother to get dressed and ran around the salon naked, hunting for an extinguisher

Hannah's pal James outside the salon

“But then I turned on to my side and saw flames licking the side of the machine. I threw myself out of it and wedged the door open, running around looking for a fire extinguisher.”

In her haste, Hannah didn’t even bother to get dressed and ran around the salon naked, hunting for an extinguisher.

She claimed that she was unable to find an extinguisher and returned to rescue James and another tanner from the fire trap.

She explained: “All the electrics had switched off - it was pitch black in there except for the flames.

“I tried to find the fire extinguisher but I couldn’t see it.

She says she has been put off sunbeds for life

Hannah telephoned 999 and within minutes three fire engines arrived at the salon

I later found out the salon is unmanned between nine and ten o’clock and the extinguishers are in the office.

“I had to bang on the sunbeds. I was screaming at them: ‘Fire! Fire!’ but there’s music inside the beds so you can’t hear all that well.”

Eventually she, James and another tanner, escaped the blazing salon and ran out onto the street. But then James and Hannah realised there was a woman in the flat above the salon.

Have-a-go hero Hannah said: “We had to go back up and get her too. It was terrifying.”

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Hannah telephoned 999 and within minutes three fire engines arrived at the salon.

It took firefighters three house to control the blaze.

Despite her terrifying experience, Hannah is trying to look on the bright side.

She said: “I always knew I was going to have to give up the sunbeds for the sake of my health - but I never thought it would take one catching on fire while I was inside for me to finally kiss them goodbye.”

A Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “The fire has been extinguished and the property checked for fire spread. A ground floor salon area has been damaged by fire and flats above damaged by smoke.”

Lisa Snowdon performs a topless jig in just her knickers as she goes for a spray tan